Hot stick tool with extension handles



Jan. 13, 1959 DUPRE ET 2,868,051

HOT STICK TOOL WITH EXTENSION HANDLES Filed Jan. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TORJ' IQLM/ 14770f/VE Y Jan. 13, 1959 H, P. DUPRE ET AL HOT STICK TOOL WITH EXTENSION HANDLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1956 INVENTORS.

United States Patent Q HOT STICK TOOL WITH EXTENSION HANDLES Henry P. Dupre, Wilton, and Walter Reischer and Richard G. Wallenhorst, Norwalk, Conn., assignors to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Application January 24, 1956, Serial No. 561,043

11 Claims. (CI. 81-15) Our invention relates to a tool having auxiliary extension handles and controls.

In the installation of electrical connectors to power cables, for example, it is unsafe in many cases for the operator to come close to the cable. Sometimes the place of installation is difficult to reach.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a multistroke lever operated tool of the ratchet or hydraulic type having a release mechanism, adapted to permit safe operation in inaccessible or hazardous locations.

Still other objects are to provide such a tool with handle extensions which are simple to apply and remove; that are insulated from the tool body to provide additional protection from electric shock; that are protected against moisture collecting pockets; that employs nested controls to provide a compact structure; and to provide a construction which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to assemble.

We accomplish these and other objects and obtain our new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of my hot stick tool.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the plane 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane 3-3 of Pi l.

l ig. 4 is a sectional view taken in the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of release valve and control.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the supporting bracket and parts for the same.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of hot stick tool.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the handle construction thereof The hot stick tool 10 of our invention comprises the lever arm 12 and stationary arm 14 connected to a hydraulic press 16, such as is illustrated in Patent 2,254,613. The press is provided with a release trigger 18 which operates to release a hydraulic valve, not shown, to relieve the hydraulic pressure at the end of the press operation, permitting the jaws to be opened. A mechanical ratchet operated multistroke tool may be used, if desired, in place of the hydraulic tool.

The tool 10 includes the cup-ended'bodies 20 and 22, which are cupped over level arm 12 and stationary arm 14 to which they are secured respectively, and into the opposite ends of which the extension handles 24 and 26 are inserted. A control rod 28 slidably operates through body 22 to operate the release trigger 18.

Specifically, the body 20 is provided with a tapered recess 30 into which the tapered end 32 of handle 24 is inserted and attached, as for example, by pin 34. The body 20 is also provided with a tapered recess 36 for receiving the lever arm 12. These recesses are tapered to receive, with a snug fit, arms of various presses which may 2,868,051 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 ICC ' an extension 40 terminating in a grooved clamp 42 for holding the lever arm 12 of the press to insure stability of the body. The clamp is slotted as at 44 for receiving the eye bolt 46, and perforated for the hinge pin 48 of cap 50. As is shown in Fig. 2, the clamp cap 50 is simi larly grooved for encircling the lever arm, perforated for receiving the hinge pin 48, and slotted at 52 to receive the shank of the bolt 46. A wing nut 54 is secured to the bolt for applying the clamping pressure.

The extension handles 24 and 26, and control rod 28, are of hot stick quality insulating material. An insulating hand'guard 56 is bolted to the extension handle to keep the operator from sliding his hand too close to the press when installing tap connectors on energized elec tric cables.

The cup-ended body 22 is constructed similarly as body 20, being provided with the cupped recesses 58 and 6th for the press arm 14 and extension handle 26, respectively; clamp extension 62, cap 64, clamp cap hinge pins 66 and 68, and eye bolt 70.

The cup-ended body 22 and extension handle 26 are provided with grooves 72 and 74, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4, to permit the control rod 28 to nest therein. This provides a guide for the rod and makes the design more compact. Pin 73 is used to secure the handle to the body. The control rod is provided with a pivoting connecting link 76, one end of which is secured to the release trigger 18. The other end of the control rod is operated by the hand grip 78, pivotally connected at 79 to toggle link 80. The link is in turn pivotally mounted at 81 to a thimble 82 positioned at the end of control rod 28, as is shown in detail in Fig. 3. The other end of the hand grip 78 is pivotally mounted at 83 to a supporting frame 84 encircling handle 26 and attachd thereto by screws 86.

The bell crank shape of the hand grip permits the operator, while wearing heavy gloves, to slide a finger under the hand grip during operation of the extension handles. Compression of the hand grip towards the extension handle 26 will extend the control rod in a direction opposite from that of the arrow and actuate the release valve.

The frame 84 has a recess 88 into which is attached an oil resistant sponge rubber pad 90. The handle 24 hits against this pad rather than against the frame to prevent damage to the handle.

A support for the ferrule 82 to prevent bowing of the control rod during the pressure stroke of the operating lever 78 is a guide plate 92. The end of the ferrule and the end of the toggle link bear on this guide plate. The plate fits into the bottom of the groove 74 in the handle 26 and is suitably mounted thereto.

One purpose of the handle frame construction is to prevent the supporting handle and the pumping handle from coming too close together. The advantages resulting from this are: (1) the operator cannot hit his knuckles together at the end of the final stroke; (2) a housing that protects against accidental damage to the operating lever, toggle link, and control rod ferrules; (3) a place to mount the operating lever and a guiding hole for the control rod; (4) protection against damage to the tool handles due to the increased mechanical advantage resulting from the efiectively increased length of the tool handles, such as bending of the tool handles. The tool has a stop on the pumping lever and body to indicate the end of the stroke.

Ifsufficient force is applied to the lever after the stop is reached, it is possible to bend the lever. The high mechanical advantage of the handles, due to their length, could create this excessive form.

An alternate means for remote operation of the manual release valve is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Over the valve release shaft is hooked the right angle bracket 102 provided with an aperture 104 on one portion, and a hook slot 106 on the other, as shown in Fig. 6. The control rod 108 extends through a tubular extension 110 of the bracket, and through aperture 104. Spring 1112 and bevelled gear 114 are positioned thereover. A connecting bevelled gear 116 is secured to the end of release shaft 100. The control rod 108 terminates adjacent the handle extension, not shown, in a covered knob 118. The rod and knob are of insulating material, or suitably covered with insulation.

It is characteristic of the previously described handle construction that the longer the handles are made (for protection against higher voltages or for greater reach), the smaller the angle the press lever moves through during pumping, and the more strokes that are needed to reach blow-off pressure. The following type, illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, permits blow-off at the same number of strokes for all handle lengths.

The press lever clamp 120 is attached to the press lever 122 near the pivot 124 of the lever on the press body bracket 126 extending from press 16a. The press lever cap 128 is hinged to the press lever clamp 120 and the two parts are locked together by a pivoted eye bolt 130 and captured wing nut 132. The press lever clamp 120 has a finger 134 that prevents the clamp from sliding down the press lever during the pumping stroke. The location of the clamp cap 128 prevents the clamp from sliding up the lever during the return stroke. The clamp 120 has an arm 136 extending at an angle to the press lever 122. The length of the arm 136 and the angle are dependent on the desired mechanical advantage. The arm is shown here at a 45 angle to the press lever because this is considered the most practical. arm 136 is a pin 138 that pivotally connects the arm to the ferrule 140 on the end of the linkage bar 142. The other end of the linkage bar has another ferrule 144 which is the same as ferrule 140. The ferrule 144 is pivotally pinned at 146 to the pumping handle frame 148.

The pumping handle frame 1148 consists of arm 150, socket 152, and an elbow 154 for the pivot pin 156. The arms 150 and 136 are the same length so that the linkage bar will clear the press lever arm at all times. The socket 152 receives a wooden insert, such as the pumping handle 158, or it may be made with the handle an integral part of the pumping handle frame. The distance from the pivot pin 156 to the end of the handle 158 is the same as the distance from the pivot 124 to the end of the press lever arm. The angle between the handle arm e 158 and the arm 150 is the same as the angle between the press lever and the arm 136. These lengths and angles are used to keep the mechanical advantage the same as the mechanical advantage of the press. Variations of these lengths and angles can be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The elbow 154 fits in a slot 160 in the lever support casting 162. The ears 164 have holes for the pivot pin 156. The lever support casting also has a hole 166 for the supporting handle 168, and a hole for the operating lever pivot pin 170. The supporting handle 168 extends from cup-ended body 20a clamped to arm 14a of press 16a. Also the various wooden handles and sticks may be held in their holes in the metal parts by roll pinning, riveting, glueing, or by using wooden screws. The hole for pin 170 is the same distance from the supporting lever handle center line as the pivot 124 is from the tool center line. The control rod 174 terminates in ferrule 176 which is pivoted at 178 to the bell crank 180, the remaining end 182 of which forms the lever for the control rod At the end of the a when pivoted at pin 170, through slot 184 in the lever support casting 162.

The release valve 186 is gripped by loop clamp 188, the ends of which are secured by bolt 190, and terminate in arm 192, pivoted at pin 194 to the ferrule end 196 of the control rod 174. This is an alternate form of clamp for a knob type of release valve. The clamp 188 may terminate in an apertured arm 192 suitable for engaging a hooked end of a control rod which will cause the valve mechanism to be rotated and operated thereby.

in each case, the handle carrying the control rod is always mounted to the press arm containing the release mechanism.

The apparatus thus described will permit the remote control of the compressioin tool located in a confined or hazardous space. The apparatus permits the tool to be operated in the ordinary manner. The apparatus is designed to permit attachment or removal of the extension parts in an easy and simple manner.

A toggle arrangement mounted on the supporting handle may be employed to linearly operate the release valve mechanism. The parallel pivoting link construction eliminates the need for increasing the number of strokes for increased handle length over that required for ordinary handle lengths. The parallel link construction provides increased length without loss of mechanical advantage.

We have thus described. our invention, but we desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, and, therefore, we claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrur'nentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

We claim:

1. A tool comprising a multistroke press having jaws and a pair of arms mounted to said tool, one moving with respect to the other to compress the jaws against each other, a release mechanism for releasing the jaws of the press from compression, a pair of handles each having free ends and connecting means to the arms of the press, said tool provided with a control rod having connecting means to the release mechanism and terminating at the free end of one of the handles whereby the press may be operated at a distance beyond the press arms.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the connecting means for said arms comprises cup-shaped members having tapered recesses for positioning over the ends of the arms, and clamping means extending from said cup-shaped members for clamping the cup-shaped members to the arms.

3. The tool of claim- 1, wherein one of the handles is provided with a grooved portion through which the control rod is slidably mounted.

4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the attachment to the release mechanism is a clamp, said control rod being pivotally connected to said clamp whereby a sliding motion of the control rod will cause a rotation of said clamp.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein the handles are connected to the tool arms through a plural-bar parallel linkage.

6. The tool of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism and control rod are provided with engaging bevelled gears, whereby the control rod may be rotated to operate the release mechanism.

7. The tool of claim 1, wherein one handle is provided with a frame fixed thereto having a resilient stop for limiting the movement of the other handle.

8. The tool of claim 1, wherein one of said pair of handles is provided with a frame fixed thereto providing a guide for the control rod.

, 5 w 9. The tool of claim 1, wherein the control rod is provided with a pivoting lever mounted on one of the handles. 10. The tool'of claim 1, wherein one of the handles is provided with a frame through which the control rod is slightly mounted, a lever mounted to said frame and connected to the control rod by a link for operating the same. 11. The tool of claim 1, wherein one of the handles is provided with a frame, a bell crank mounted to said frame and connected to the control rod by a link for operating the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent 2,032,309; 5 2,os9,s95--- UNITED STATES PATENTS Rechard 'et a1. Feb. 25, Green May 5, McCluskey Oct. 13, Eby et a1. Dec. 5, Matthyssc Sept. 2, Keppler Ian. 16,

Smalley -2..- June 12, 

